Inking mechanism for printing presses



Oct. 13, 1953 w. s. JOBB 2,655,104

I INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Aug. 26, 1949 In uen tor h/alier' 5 Jobb Patented Oct. 13, 1953 INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Walter S. J obb, Cicero, Ill.

Application August 26, 1949, Serial No. 112,597

8 Claims.

The invention relates generally to printing press inking mechanisms of the type having an adjustable fountain blade for regulating the thickness of the film of ink supplied to the fountain roller, and it is more particularly concerned with improved mechanism for adjusting the fountain blade.

One object of the invention is to provide improvide mechanism whereby selected portions of the fountain blade may be adjusted to precisely regulate the thickness of the ink film applied to localized areas of the fountain roller and to determine the limits of such areas with a high degree of precision.

Another object is to provide auxiliary fountain blade adjusting mechanism adapted to operate in conjunction with the adjusting instrumentalities commonly provided for such blades whereby the blade even when badly worn or sprung from its normally fiat condition may be accurately set to regulate the ink film suplied to the fountain roller, thereby materially increasing the useful life of the blade.

A further object is to provide an auxiliary fountain blade adjusting mechanism in the form of an attachment capable of being installed in conventional printing presses without requiring any substantial changes or modifications in the press structure.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of the ink fountain of a printing press equipped with fountain blade adjusting mechanism embodying the features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken in a vertical plane substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawing and will herein describe in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

For purposes of illustration the invention has been shown as incorporated in an ink fountain of the undershot type. The fountain comprises generally an elongated reservoir 5 for the ink supply I and a fountain roller 6 positioned to passage of the screws l2.

contact the ink in the reservoir. The exemplary reservoir is generally rectangular, and the roll 5 is arranged to form one end wall thereof. Laterally spaced parallel upright frame members i and a cross member 8 define the side walls and the other end wall of the reservoir 5.

The bottom wall of the reservoir 5 is formed in this instance by a fountain blade H) and a blade supporting element I I projecting forwardly from the end wall 8. The blade l9, which is usually made of relatively thin resilient metal such as steel is disposed tangentially of the roll 6 with its rear edge portion resting on and secured to the supporting element I l, as by screws I 2, and with its forward or free edge positioned closely adjacent the surface of the roll. Preferably, the blade and its supporting element are sloped downwardly toward the roll so that the supply of ink I in the reservoir tends to flow toward the roll and coat the surface thereof.

In the exemplary fountain structure the roll 6 is mounted on a shaft [5 journaled on the side members 1 of the reservoir and is rotatively driven in well known manner. In such rotation the roll surface receives a coating of ink which is either scraped off or reduced to a thin film by the action of the blade l0. Rough adjustments to determine the thickness of the ink film are preferably made by sliding the blade Ill edgewise forwardly 0r backwardly, which movement is permitted by slots l6 formed in the blade for the Such rough adjustments may be made to space the edge of the blade from the roll surface so as to leave an ink film slightly thicker than the film desired.

Fine adjustments for accurately determining film thickness are made by springing the edge portion of the blade inwardly or toward the roller. For this purpose the fountain is provided with a series of adjustable pressure applying members 11 positioned for coaction with the blade adjacent its free edge. As herein shown, the members I! comprise elongated screws threaded through a rigid portion of the frame structure, in this instance, a flange l8 on the end wall 8. The members I! are arranged to bear at their inner ends against the underside of the blade l0 and are provided at their outer ends with flattened gripping portions I9 for manual manipulation. As a member is screwed in, the adjacent edge portion of the blade is shifted closer to the roll surface, and when the member is screwed out, the resiliency of the blade returns the edge portion to its normal position. It will be understood, of course, that the spacing 3 of the blade from the roll need not be uniform throughout the length of the roll, but may be varied considerably to remove all ink in some localized areas while providing a film of maximum thickness in other localized areas.

The accuracy within which the areas of varying film thickness may be defined is dependent upon the sharpness with which the edge portion of the blade can be sprung or deformed from its normally flat condition. This, of course, varies with the thickness and resiliency of the blade and also with the spacing of the adjusting members or screws [1. In practice, the screws are arranged as close together as is practical, the spacing ordinarily being on the order of an inch or two. This permits adjustment with sufficient accuracy for printing of ordinary quality, but considerable difficulty is encountered in effecting the adjustments with the accuracy required for high grade printing. This difiiculty is greatly increased as the blade becomes worn or portions become sprung. As a result, it is customary to remove the blades Irequently to be trued up by grinding or for 'replacement with new blades. This adds substantially to the cost of printing, due to the labor involved and to the relatively high cost of the blades.

In accordance with the invention the adjusting action of the pressure applying member I! is supplemented by an auxiliary adjusting mechanism acting in opposition to the members. The auxiliary mechanism includes a second series of pressure applying members 20 hearing against the face of the blade l adjacent the roll 6, that is, in opposed relation to the members ll. These members 20 are supported in a manner which permits them to be adjusted axially toward or from the blade and to be shifted longitudinally of the fountain roll or in a plane parallel to the plane of the blade so that they may be positioned to act on selected areas or lengths of the blade as required. Thus, one or more of the members 20 may be positioned to coact with a section of the blade that has been sprung from its normal flat condition, thus permitting that section to be adjusted accurately with respect to the roll surface irrespective of the positioning of adjacent blade sections. Alternatively, the members 20 may be positioned to accurately define the limits of differentially adjusted blade sections.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention the pressure applying members 20 constitute elongated metal rods having their lower ends rounded or otherwise suitably shaped for coaction with the face of the fountain blade I0. Support for the members 20 is provided by a rigid cross member 2| suitably attached to the press frame and extending across the reservoir 5 generally parallel to the axis of the roll 6. The members are disposed transversely of the cross member as shown in Fig. 1 and may be secured thereto in any preferred manner which permits them to be individually adjusted in the direction of their axes and also long tudinally of the cross member.

In the exemplary mechanism the rods 20 are secured to the cross member 2| by means of nuts 22 and 23 threaded on the intermediate portion of the rod and disposed on Opposite sides of the cross member. One of the nuts, preferably the upper nut 23, is provided with laterally projecting finger pieces or wings 24 for convenient or out of its associated nut 22, the rod may be shifted axially toward or from the fountain blade 10 and may then be locked in adjusted position by means of the clamping nut 23. To facilitate adjustment, each rod is provided at its upper end with a wing cap member 25 nonrogatably secured to the member as by a set screw While the auxiliary adjusting mechanism may be built into the press or fountain structure if desired, it is preferred to construct this mechanism as an attachment adapted to be applied to existing presses or fountain structures. To this end the cross member 21 is constructed from a pair of angle bars 30 and 3| arranged in spaced parallel relation to define a downwardly opening channel 32 with a longitudinal slot 33 in its base wall. The slot is dimensioned to receive the nuts 22 with a relatively snug fit, permitting them to slide longitudinally of the channel while preventing rotation.

The angle bars 30 and 31 are secured together in a unitary structure by end plates 34 welded or otherwise secured to the ends of the angle bars. As will be seen by reference to Fig. 1, the rods 20 are inserted through the slot 33 with the nuts 22 confined within the channel 32 defined by the bars. Clamping nuts 23 are wider than the slot 33 and engage the horizontal flanges of the bars to clamp the members in fixed positions. When the clamping nuts are released, the rods may be adjusted longitudinally of the cross member. To adjust the rods axially for varying the positions of the fountain blade, it is only necessary to turn them relative to their associated nuts 22.

The cross member 2| may be secured to the press frame in any suitable manner. As herein shown the securing means includes headed bolts 35 inserted through the slot 33 and threaded into holes 36 in the side members I of the fountain. Washers 31 may be interposed between the heads of the bolts and the adjacent face of the cross member, if desired. In installing the auxiliary adjusting mechanism in existing presses, the drilling of the holes 36 is the only modification of the press structure required.

In adjusting the fountain blade of a fountain equipped with the auxiliary adjusting mechanism, the blade is initially positioned by shifting it .edgewise and then locking it in place by means of the screw l2. If the blade is new and its active edge perfectly flat, this initial setting will ordinarily be such as to leave an ink film of the uniform thickness on the surface of the roll. This initial adjustment is only a rough one, and the blade is preferably set to form an ink film somewhat thicker than that required for the printing job. Accurate adjustment of the blade edge to reduce the film to precisely the required thickness either along the entire edge of the blade or in local areas thereof is effected by screwing in the pressure applying members [1.

In case the blade is warped so as to produce an unevenly distributed ink film on the roll surface, the pressure applying members 20 of the auxiliary adjusting mechanism are shifted longitudinally or the cross member 2| so as to bear against the section or sections of the blade which approach the roll surface too closely. The members are then adjusted axially by screwing them through the nuts 22 to shift the blade edge outwardly or away from the roll surface. When manual manipulation. By screwing the rod into the blade is properly positioned, it may be securely locked in place by screwing in the members ll.

Where a differential adjustment of the blade is required to produce ink films of different thickness, as is frequently necessary in printing halftone illustrations, two or more of the auxiliary pressure applying members 2 may be adjusted on the cross member 2| so as to bear against the fountain blade substantially at the edges or limits of the areas to be differentially adjusted. The auxiliary members are then adjusted to hold the blade at the desired distance from the roll surface while the regular members ll engaging the intermediate sections are screwed in to force that section of the blade closer to the roll surface. Thus, by the joint action of the auxiliary members 25 and regular members H, the blade edge may be bent relatively sharply to define the limits of the differentially adjusted areas or length of blade With a high degree of precision.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the invention provides auxiliary fountain blade adjusting mechanism of a novel and advantageous character. This auxiliary mechanism cooperates With the regular adjusting mechanism of the fountain to provide more accurate differential adjustments of the blade with respect to the fountain roll. Adjustments may be effected very quickly and easily to insure precisely the proper thickness of ink film supplied to the roll. Moreover, warped or worn blades may be adjusted precisely, thus extending their useful life with a consequent saving in operating costs.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an ink fountain for printing presses, in

combination, an ink reservoir, an ink roll positioned to make contact with ink in said reservoir, means for regulating the amount of ink carried from the reservoir by said roll comprising a relatively thin resilient blade extending substantially the entire length of said roll and supported generally tangentially of said roll With one edge disposed in predetermined spaced relation to the peripheral surface of the roll, means for adjusting the position of said one edge of the blade with respect to the roll including a first series of pressure applying members spaced apart longitudinally of said blade and bearing against the face of the blade remote from said roll, and a second series of pressure applying members spaced apart longitudinally of said blade and extending transversely of said roll to bear against the other face of the blade in opposed relation to said first series of members, each of said pressure applying members being adjustable individually to urge said blade toward or away from the surface of said roll.

2. In an ink fountain for printing presses, in combination, an ink reservoir, an ink roll positioned to receive a coating of ink from said reservoir, a thin resilient blade for controlling the thickness of said ink coating, means supporting said blade along one edge with the inner face of the other edge extending along said roll in spaced relation to the surface thereof, and means for independently adjusting the spacing of selected lengths of said other blade edge with respect to said roll comprising a plurality of pressure applying members spaced apart substantially uniformly along said blade and engageable with the outer face of the blade adjacent said other blade edge, said members being adjustable independently to urge the other blade edge toward said roll, and a plurality of other pressure applying members spaced along said blade and engageable with said blade adjacent said other edge in op posed relation to said first mentioned members, said other members being adjustable independ ently to urge the blade edge away from said roll, and means supporting said other members for adjustment in a plane parallel to the plane of said blade to vary the position of said other members along said blade and to vary the spacing of said other members relative to each other.

3. The combination with a fountain roll positioned to receive a film of ink on its peripheral surface, of an elongated flexible blade extending the effective length of said roll for regulating the thickness of said ink film, means coacting with one edge portion of said blade to support said blade with its free edge in predetermined spaced relation to the peripheral surface of the roll, and means for adjusting the spacing of the free blade edge with respect to said roll comprising pressure applying members positioned to bear against op-. posite faces of the blade between said supporting means and the free blade edge, said members having means for individually adjusting said members toward and from the plane of the blade and for urging said free blade edge toward and from said roll.

4. The combination with a fountain roll positioned to receive a film of ink on its peripheral surface, of an elongated flexible blade for regulating the thickness of said ink film, means coacting with one edge portion of said blade to support said blade with its free edge in spaced relation to the peripheral surface of the roll, and means for adjusting the spacing of the blade edge with respect to said roll comprising two groups of pressure applying members disposed on opposite sides of said blade and bearing respectively against opposite faces of the blade between said supporting means and the free edge of the blade, all of said members having means for individually adjusting said members toward and from the plane of the blade and for urging said free blade edge toward and from said roll and the members of one of said groups being additionally adjustable parallel to the plane of the blade.

5. In an ink fountain for printing presses, in combination, rigid frame members forming the side walls and one end wall of an ink reservoir, a roll defining the other end wall of the reservoir, means including a thin resilient blade forming the bottom wall of the reservoir, said blade being supported along one edge portion and having its other edge portion extending along the peripheral edge surface of said roll in spaced relation thereto, pressure applying members engageable with the lower face of said blade adjacent said other edge and adjustable to urge the blade edge toward the surface of said roll, a rigid cross member supported on said frame members above said blade at one side of and generally parallel to the axis of said roll, a plurality of spaced pressure applying members mounted on said cross member for inter-engagement with the upper face of said blade adjacent said other edge, said last mentioned pressure members being individually adjustable toward and from said blade and longitudinally of the cross member, and means for holding each of said last mentioned members in adjusted position.

6. An auxiliary blade adjusting mechanism for a printing press ink fountain having means for positively forcing various portions of the fountain blade in one direction relative to the ink roll, said mechanism comprising, in combination, an elongated rigid member removably attachable to the fountain in spacedrelation to the blade, and apluralityof elongated rods mounted on said member with their endspositioned for engagement with one face of the blade, each of said rods being independently adjustable toward or from the blade for selectively and positively moving selected portions of the blade in a direction opposite to the above mentioned one direction.

'7. An auxiliary blade adjusting mechanism for printing press ink fountains having adjusting means associated with the blades therefor for positively forcing various edge portions of the blades in one direction to control the flow of ink from the fountains, saidinechanism comprising, in combination, an elongated rigid member attachable to the fountain in spaced relation to the blade, saidmember having a longitudinally disposed slot, a plurality of elongated r'ods extending through said slot and into engagement with one face of the fountain blade, each of said rods having a threaded intermediate portion, a nut threaded on the intermediate portion of each rod engageable with the face of said member adjacent the fountain blade, manually operable means on each rod for rotating it relative to its associated nut to shift the rod axially toward or from the fountain blade to selectively and positively move various lengths of the blade in a second direction opposed to the above mentioned direction to regulate the ink flow from the fountain, and a clamping nut threaded on the intermediate portion of each rod for engagement with the other face of said member.

I 8 An auxiliary blade adjusting mechanism for printing press ink fbuntains comprising, in combination, an elongated member attachable to the press framein o've'rlying' relation to the fountain blade, said member including a pair of angle bars arranged in parallel spaced relation to define a downwardly opening channel with a longitudinal slot in its base wall, an elongated rod extending transversely of said member through said slot with one end engageable with the fountain blade, said rod having its'intermediate portion threaded, a nut threaded on the intermediate portion of said rod and slidably received in said channel, said nut being restrained against rotation by the walls of the channel, and a second nut threaded on the intermediate portion of said rod on the opposite side of said member forcooperation with said first-mentioned nut in rigidly clamping the rod to themember. t

WALTER S. J 01313.

References Cited in the file of this patent "UNITED STATES PAI'ENTS Number Name Date 984,913 Hayes Feb. 21, 1911 1,802,026 Lestner Apr. 21, 1931 2,018,193 Smith Oct. 22, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 273,530 Great Britain July '7, 1927 

